Question with lottery probable Winslow: How high will he go?

The youngest in an athletic family with Phi Slama Jama roots, a state champion at St. John School in Houston, and an NCAA champion at Duke, Justise Winslow might as well have had "lottery pick" for a middle name. Heading into Thursday's NBA draft, however, he is a little something of a question mark.

There is little doubt Winslow will be selected in the lottery, almost certainly in the top 10, but he has potential to jump several spots higher than many predict, changing many of the first 10 picks with him. And the unusually wide range in his potential makes him an especially unpredictable prospect.

Winslow, whose father Rickie was a second-round pick of the Bulls out of the University of Houston, is considered a small forward or even a shooting guard. But his greatest impact for Duke was as a small power forward, showing off his athleticism and all-around game but perhaps inspiring varying opinions.

The small forward class as a whole has similar outstanding, if unpredictable, potential. Kansas' Kelly Oubre and Arizona's Stanley Johnson have good tools but like Winslow are making the jump after one college season. As a junior who helped Wisconsin to consecutive Final Fours, Sam Dekker is more experienced, but he also has been inconsistent enough as a shooter for there to be uncertainty about how he'll pan out on the wing.

Arizona's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Virginia's Justin Anderson have even more questions about their shooting, though Anderson's is improved. Both have potential to be elite defenders.

Translator

To read this article in one of Houston's most-spoken languages, click on the button below.